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Genesis 15:4, 5

by Don Costello  
11/28/2008 / Bible Studies

Genesis 15:4

And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

a. God's response to Abram was that Abram's heir would come out of his own bowels.

Genesis 15:5

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

a. NIV "He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars, if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

b. NASB "And he took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And he said to him, "So shall your descendants be."

c. An interesting fact of this encounter between Almighty God and Abram is that in verse 5, it appears to be night and yet in verse 12 the sun begins to go down. I have trouble believing that it took Abram the rest of the evening, the next morning and all day the next day to cut up the animals and he finished right before the sun went down the next day. Now there may be a simple explanation for this, but because God is in the picture I don't believe it is simple. Jewish tradition says that God took Abram outside the realm of reason and nature. I don't think it is out of the question to believe that God brought Abram to a place where he could see the stars in the daytime. Supernatural travel has happened to more than a few individuals in Scripture. Elijah, Enoch, Phillip, Jesus, Paul, John. If God can bring a person to heaven such as John and Paul why not to a place where he can see the stars.

1). brought forth [3318 * yatsa] [Strongs: to go out, to bring out, bring forth]
[Gesenius:to go out, to go forth, to be brought forth.]

2). abroad [2351 * chuwts, chuts] [Strongs:to sever, separate] [Gesenius: the outside, what ever is without] [AMG: It indicates a direction or location, to the outside.]

d. Although the Hebrew does not hint at a supernatural element, nevertheless I believe there was something outside the natural process of things.

My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children.

My e-mail address is [email protected]

I have a blog located at:
www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/

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